What is financial planning?

Financial Planning is an ongoing process to help you make sensible decisions about money that can help you achieve your goals in life; it's not just about buying products like life insurance, a retirement annuity or an investment.

​It might involve putting appropriate wills in place to protect your family, thinking about how your family will manage without your income should you fall ill or die prematurely, spending money differently, but it involves thinking about all of these things together i.e. your 'plan'.

You can build a plan on your own, or if your needs are more complex you might want the help of a Financial Planner.
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Create a sound financial plan in six steps:

1. Establish your goals in life – short, medium and long term
2. Work out what assets and liabilities you have – write them down
3. Evaluate your current financial position –  how close are you to achieving your goals?
4. Develop your plan – create a “route map” for achieving your different goals
5. Implement your plan – make the changes and make it happen
6. Monitor and review your plan at least yearly and make adjustments when needed

Courtesy of: www.financialplanning.org.uk